Chapter Nineteen
Vandal
“We need to be ready for anything.” Slate let out a heavy sigh, raking his hand through his hair. “Halloran is officially in Nevada and heading to the Vegas Metro area along with several of Diego’s men. Possibly more.” His tone was more serious than usual, the only sign he was actually worried.
“Considering those assholes shot at me I think we can say he’s found her and he’s not alone,” I muttered.
“They want her alive, that’s how you got away,” Diesel said without hesitation. His voice was calm, deadly fucking serious. “They can’t have her. We need to be proactive because we can’t wait them out anymore.”
No shit.
Damn right they couldn’t have her, but they didn’t know that yet and even if they did, it wouldn’t stop Sombra Negra.
This moment here was the beginning of some shit, not the end of it.
This was where it all got really fucking serious and they would stop at nothing to get to her.
It would be me and my brothers standing between Macy and danger.
“I’ll keep her at my side until this is over,” I said. As if I had any fucking choice.
“Oh no,” Gio drawled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “What a sacrifice.”
A few chuckles broke the tension, and I welcomed it. Humor kept our morale high and we needed it in moments like this more than ever.
Diesel’s lips twitched but he nodded, gaze fixed on me. “Keep her close and keep your eyes open. If anything feels off, speak up immediately.”
“Of course,” I said, even as my heart kicked hard against my ribs. The idea of them getting close enough to see her face again made me see red.
“We’re not on lockdown yet,” Rocky began, his tone serious. “But we’re damn close to it so keep your heads on a swivel, people.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “Heads on a fucking swivel.”
The meeting ended heavy. No yelling. No jokes. Just the kind of heavy silence that foreshadowed bad shit to come. Chairs scraped back, boots hit concrete, and we all fanned out to do what the fuck needed to be done.
Keep Macy safe.
I found her where I’d left her. Sitting off to the side with her arms wrapped around herself while she stared at nothing in the distance. She looked so fucking small like that, isolated from the cluster of women nearby. Not unwanted, just lost inside her own head.
I hated it.
“Hey,” I said quietly as I came up beside her.
She startled, gasping like she’d been rescued from drowning. “Oh, hey,” she replied, trying for a smile she clearly didn’t feel. “So,” she sighed. “What’s the damage?”
I didn’t answer, not right away. Instead, I took her hand and pulled her gently to her feet. “Come on.”
She didn’t argue.
We walked out the back door and past the covered picnic tables, the swing set and slide built for the kids. We kept going until the concrete gave way to grass that stretched out towards the dark horizon. The night air was cool, heavy with the scent of sage and dust.
I exhaled hard and scrubbed my free hand through my hair.
She stopped and turned to me, dark brows bunched with concern. “What’s going on, Drew?”
I let out another sigh, a longer, heavier one because there was no easy way to say what needed to be said. “Halloran. That fucker talked to the bus driver.”
Her shoulders stiffened because she knew exactly what that meant.
“The one that dropped you off in Vegas,” I said just so we were on the same page. “He confirmed that he let you off in Vegas and Halloran passed that news along before he left Colorado.”
She went very still again. “That’s how they made it here so quickly.”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I confirmed. “They were hoping for an easy grab, but they didn’t know who they were fucking with. Slate is trying to figure out how they pinpointed your location.”
She sucked in a shaky breath. “So, they’re coming. This is happening.” Neither were questions, more like inevitabilities.
“They’re coming,” I said in response.
She swallowed hard. “Is it too late to just leave?”
Her words made something inside me snap and I grabbed her arm, spinning her because I refused to let her look away. “Don’t even fucking joke about that Mace. You hear me?”
Her eyes widened but she didn’t pull away.
“I just got you back,” I said, my chest heaving and nostrils flaring like an angry bull. “And if you think I’m letting you go that easy, you’re as crazy as those fuckers who think this is gonna end well for them.”
Her gaze searched my face, serious, sharp, and full of too many emotions to name. “You sure?” she asked quietly. “This seems like it’s going to get… messy.”
I smiled, and it felt feral. “I’m so fucking sure,” I said, putting my forehead to hers. “I’m not letting you get away. Not again.”
I didn’t tell her how far I was willing to go, but she knew. She had to. Right? I didn’t tell her how much blood I would spill to keep her safe. How I’d burn Diego and every last man under Sombra Negra to the fucking ground if that’s what it took.
She inhaled slowly, then let it out just as carefully, like she didn’t want to ruin the moment. “If you’re sure, then I’m here for it.”
Relief slammed into me so hard I almost staggered.
“But…” she continued, holding up a finger, “I’ll listen, but I have conditions.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Hit me with ‘em.”
She met my gaze, so serious her eyes were a deep, intoxicating shade of violet.
“If this gets to be too much, you tell me. If it’s too dangerous for your brothers and their women, their families, you let me go.
” She was so fucking serious, and I knew what she wanted to hear but I just couldn’t give it to her.
“That doesn’t work for me.” I gripped her shoulders because I had to touch her, to be connected to her.
“This is what we do. Damn near every woman here was under our protection before they joined the family. It might get messy, and it will sure as shit get bloody and all that shit, but this is what we do, and we’re damn good at it.
Trust me?” My heart raced and I realized in that moment how much I needed to hear the answer.
She stared deep into my eyes, searching for a lie or any insincerity before her shoulders finally relaxed and she nodded. “Of course I trust you,” she let out a sigh. “That’s never been the question. But it would kill me if showing up here like this fucked up your life in some way.”
“Not even possible,” I muttered, pulling her close before I dropped a kiss to her forehead. “If you leave,” I whispered in her ear. “I will come after you.” It was a promise and a threat, and I smiled to myself when my words—threat or promise—made her shiver.